Recorded since 1808, farm sense since 1831. From American Spanishrancho ‎(“small farm, group of farm huts”), in Spanish originally "group of people who eat together", from ranchear ‎(“to lodge or station”), from Old Frenchranger ‎(“install in position”), from rang ‎(“row, line”) (cognate with rank)

There was some laughter, and Roddle was left free to expand his ideas on the periodic visits of cowboys to the town. “Mason Rickets, he had ten big punkins a-sittin' in front of his store, an' them fellers from the Upside-down-F ranch shot 'em up […].”

(western US) A small farm that cultivates vegetables and/or livestock.